Coach Kelly of Notre Dame talks Michael Floyd, quarterback controversy and year two

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has told The New York Times that "year two will be a lot different to year one" under his tenure.

Kelly who comes to New York on March 16th for a charity dinner told the Times that when he arrived at Notre Dame there was a negative attitude that he had to remove.

"Everyone talked about what was wrong with Notre Dame; there wasn’t a consistency. There were too many head coaches here. There was no consistency, for whatever the reasons the changes were made, right or wrong. Going into our off-season workouts with our guys, Year 2 is a lot different than Year 1."

Asked about a quarterback controversy Kelly said he was in much better shape entering the new season than he was when he got there.

"Last year at this time, Dayne Crist was appointed or anointed, whatever word you want to use, the heir apparent to Jimmy Clausen. It’s way too much pressure for any kid who had no experience to have on his shoulders. And then he was backed up by no one with any experience.

"We come into this year with two guys who’ve won football games and a quarterback who fits the system that we recruited. We don’t have Dayne Crist feeling like he has to carry the load of the entire Irish nation on his shoulders. It’s a totally different feeling when you come in and have those dynamics working for you, compared to what it was last year."

He also stated the return of wide receiver Michael Floyd meant an incredible amount to the team.

"Part of building a program is the trust you need from your players and in recruiting. When you see a Michael Floyd, who was not recruited by me or this staff, nor was he a guy who had to come back to college, it does a lot toward giving trust to your program. Its like: “Hey, they’re doing the right things here. I’m sticking around.” That is why he got the sixth star from me. That meant here’s a guy who wants to stick around because he believes in what’s going on."